Critical Approaches to media
Observation:
He opens the Internet, which opens to his homepage of CNN. He scans the headlines then goes to YouTube to listen to some music and watch some music videos. He particularly liked the private fan concert that one artist had done, and which is one of the unique draws of YouTube. He opens Word and types a bit of his homework, then goes back to YouTube to look at some Daily Show snippets. He goes back to his homework until he takes another YouTube break. Later on he checks spiked humor for some Dave Chappelle clips and watches demonstrations of some new video games. This is his routine for most days.
Interview:
Q: Tell me about your media viewing habits.
A: Everything I get is from the Internet. I download movies and TV shows, but my primary forms of entertainment comes from YouTube, and other clips sites (spiked humor, compfused, sites like that). My source of news is CNN and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I don’t read books, magazines or newspapers.
Q: Why do you choose to make the Internet your source of information?
A: It is what I am used to; I grew up with it. It is cheaper. It allows me to access more content, when and how I want to.
Q: Are you against reading books, magazines or newspapers?
A: I just don’t like them. I don’t find them fun.
Q: Do you use the Internet to connect with others?
A: Yeah, but not in a Myspace-y way. I contact friends through iChat and keep in touch with them. I don’t use it to meet new people.
Q: On average how many hours do you use the Internet recreationally?
A: I am connected to the Internet virtually the entire day. I don't know how much of that time I am using it recreationally. I don't know, many hours.
Q: What is the future of the Internet?
A: In the short term it will be distributor sites like YouTube. It is impossible to predict.
- a 24 year old male
Analysis:
This person that I interviewed is a typical Y-Generation person in some ways, and not in others. He uses the Internet extensively and constantly. He uses it to find pretty much everything he needs, from recipes to guitar tabs to music videos and research for classes. He uses it for social networking in a way, as he uses email and chatting quite often. He does video chats and voice only chats as well, especially with his family members. He doesn't care about meeting new people, so he is not involved in the Myspace, Friendster, and other social space sites. He loves technology and really enjoys using the internet as a way to contact friends and family members. Because it is cheaper than using the phone and it is easy to leave messages with people, he prefers using the internet to contact people. He will often use it as the primary contact, to see if the person is available, then call them, or have them call him.
He prefers to use the Internet as a tool, the mode of receiving information instantly, at the momment he needs it. His agenda is to find the information that he is looking for and the entertainment that he wants, whenever he thinks of it, which is why the medium serves him so well. It provides near instant information and is quite useful. The subject of this interview believes that he simply uses the internet as a source of information. From observation, I see that it also provides him with instant entertainment. He enjoyes checking out the latest movie ratings, watching baseball games, seeing clips, etc. THe thought of using a regular TV, in which he would be limited to what is on at the time, seems archaic and silly to him when he could watch whatever he likes whenever he wants to. He believes that as time goes on, TV will have to change to become more interactive and like the internet to remain popular. Otherwise these clip sites will take over the popularity of TV, especially as this generation ages and gets more buying power.
He opens the Internet, which opens to his homepage of CNN. He scans the headlines then goes to YouTube to listen to some music and watch some music videos. He particularly liked the private fan concert that one artist had done, and which is one of the unique draws of YouTube. He opens Word and types a bit of his homework, then goes back to YouTube to look at some Daily Show snippets. He goes back to his homework until he takes another YouTube break. Later on he checks spiked humor for some Dave Chappelle clips and watches demonstrations of some new video games. This is his routine for most days.
Interview:
Q: Tell me about your media viewing habits.
A: Everything I get is from the Internet. I download movies and TV shows, but my primary forms of entertainment comes from YouTube, and other clips sites (spiked humor, compfused, sites like that). My source of news is CNN and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I don’t read books, magazines or newspapers.
Q: Why do you choose to make the Internet your source of information?
A: It is what I am used to; I grew up with it. It is cheaper. It allows me to access more content, when and how I want to.
Q: Are you against reading books, magazines or newspapers?
A: I just don’t like them. I don’t find them fun.
Q: Do you use the Internet to connect with others?
A: Yeah, but not in a Myspace-y way. I contact friends through iChat and keep in touch with them. I don’t use it to meet new people.
Q: On average how many hours do you use the Internet recreationally?
A: I am connected to the Internet virtually the entire day. I don't know how much of that time I am using it recreationally. I don't know, many hours.
Q: What is the future of the Internet?
A: In the short term it will be distributor sites like YouTube. It is impossible to predict.
- a 24 year old male
Analysis:
This person that I interviewed is a typical Y-Generation person in some ways, and not in others. He uses the Internet extensively and constantly. He uses it to find pretty much everything he needs, from recipes to guitar tabs to music videos and research for classes. He uses it for social networking in a way, as he uses email and chatting quite often. He does video chats and voice only chats as well, especially with his family members. He doesn't care about meeting new people, so he is not involved in the Myspace, Friendster, and other social space sites. He loves technology and really enjoys using the internet as a way to contact friends and family members. Because it is cheaper than using the phone and it is easy to leave messages with people, he prefers using the internet to contact people. He will often use it as the primary contact, to see if the person is available, then call them, or have them call him.
He prefers to use the Internet as a tool, the mode of receiving information instantly, at the momment he needs it. His agenda is to find the information that he is looking for and the entertainment that he wants, whenever he thinks of it, which is why the medium serves him so well. It provides near instant information and is quite useful. The subject of this interview believes that he simply uses the internet as a source of information. From observation, I see that it also provides him with instant entertainment. He enjoyes checking out the latest movie ratings, watching baseball games, seeing clips, etc. THe thought of using a regular TV, in which he would be limited to what is on at the time, seems archaic and silly to him when he could watch whatever he likes whenever he wants to. He believes that as time goes on, TV will have to change to become more interactive and like the internet to remain popular. Otherwise these clip sites will take over the popularity of TV, especially as this generation ages and gets more buying power.
posted by Jennifer | 9:59 PM
1 Comments:
The influence the internet has had on the Y generation, and everyone born since, is amazing. Does anyone remember going to the good-old-fashioned library to do research in books? I vaguely remember doing that as a high schooler, (no, I am not of the Y generation). Honestly, I love the influence the internet has had on society, but I also recognize its negative influence when it comes to time spend online, and predatory isses related to children/teens, or anyone who is being taken advantage of via the internet. None the less, teachers have an important role in teaching students to be conscientious users of media, including the internet.
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